IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE---

or maybe a small adjustment to the landscaping?

The prolonged stretch of hot weather took its toll on the landscape and on the gardener as well.  Was it a freak 25 year weather event?  Probably not; long-term forecasts seem to indicate a more permanent change to come.

The writings of this blog were never meant to be "how-to" postings, but rather a "heads-up" to life around us and the management of our environment.  The magic wand is in our hands, not the fairy godmother's hand.

Even in the interest of water conservation we can't simply rip out the existing lawn and dig up water thirsty trees.  What we can do is put more effort in choosing our landscaping choices for the future.  It may include replacement of some shrubs.  As you walk through your garden spaces now, look at which plants were stressed due to heat and lack of water.  It may help you make decisions for next year.

A garden bed of annual petunias can be a breathtaking site to be proud of.  But it can also take a lot of water.  A large container of petunias can satisfy the visual of a mass of color and at the same time use less water. 

 Think of the beautiful container plantings we see in gardening magazines every spring.  Yes, the container itself can be spendy even before you even think about the plants.  Remember how as kids when we wanted something special, we saved for it in the piggy-bank?  Maybe it's time to renew the old-fashioned tradition.

Assess the annual flowers you usually plant.  Can the color or the structure be replicated by using a perennial that requires less water?  

Perennial Delphinium

Annual Larkspur

 'The Water-Wise Gardening in Central Oregon',   publication #EM9136 is a valuable resource   available on-line and as a hard copy at the Extension 
 Office.   Share the information, especially with new   gardeners.

 Being critical of our landscapes at this time of year   has benefits beyond water-wise concerns.  My   concern involves a large rock garden a few feet from the house and climbing over the rocks to maintain the plants that have outgrown their space.  The rock formations are too beautiful to keep hidden.  If I remove them there will be no need to continue irrigating that area.

It's hard to break away from planting traditions enjoyed over the years.  Now is the time to try doing things a little differently--that can be our "one small step for mankind".